1974 Plymouth Road Runner GTX

Description

By 1974, the feds and insurance companies had pretty much succeeded in their mission to kill the muscle car. However, that doesn't mean you can't still enjoy some of the more handsome examples of Mopar performance like this 1974 Plymouth Road Runner GTX. Now packing a 1969-vintage 440, factory A/C, and ultra-clean styling, this is an unusually potent example of '70s horsepower.

You know we love B5 Blue around here, and this cool Road Runner wears it as well as any of its predecessors. It's this car's original color, showing up right there on the fender tag as KB5, and it has just the right amount of metallic to really make it shimmer in the light. The all-new fuselage styling that debuted in 1971 was slightly revised for 1974, but it kept the clean lines, smooth flanks, and sloping, almost fastback rear window treatment. The bodywork is in excellent condition and getting it right matters more on these smooth-body cars than their earlier siblings. To that bright blue paint, this car added a white padded half roof and, as a Road Runner, the requisite white stripes and emblems. Up front there's an aggressive-looking vented hood with pins, one of the last times they'd be offered on a production car, and for the time period, this is a very clean-looking muscle machine. Of course, since it was the '70s, it also means big chrome bumpers fore and aft, as well as a set of quad headlights.

It's quite possible that the blue vinyl interior is original. The high-back bucket seats are in amazing condition if that's true, and they remain firm and comfortable with a back seat that looks almost completely unused. A quartet of round dials make up the instrument panel, with this car sporting a factory tach as well as the usual quartet of auxiliary dials. There's also a factory AM radio and factory A/C, which was still a somewhat unusual option. The three-spoke steering wheel is wrapped in black leather that makes it easier to grip, especially on hot days, and if there's a demerit in this original interior, it's the light fading on the wood appliques on the dash and a small crack in the dash pad. But you really won't find much to complain about here, it's pretty darned nice. There's also a very spacious trunk that includes a correct mat.

Forget the usual wheezing, smog-choked small block, this Road Runner GTX packs a thundering 440 cubic inch V8 that pre-dates emissions controls and cranks out 375 horsepower, just as it did in 1969. Treated to a stock rebuild and fed by an Edelbrock 4-barrel carburetor, it's a fantastic runner with seemingly endless reserves of torque at any speed. This 440 fits like it was born there and they were careful to use factory-style parts throughout, from the big air cleaner to the cool over-the-top exhaust manifolds. The factory A/C system remains intact and functional, although it could use a shot of refrigerant to get it back to 100%. The TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic transmission is a great partner for the burly big block and it's a great highway cruiser that just loafs along thanks to tallish gears out back. A mellow-sounding dual exhaust system gives it just the right Mopar soundtrack and you'll note that air shocks have been installed out back to keep things level. Correct Rallye wheels and 235/60/15 white-letter radials complete the muscle car look.

Factory performance was dead, but building your own seems pretty smart. This fast, fun, and unusual Road Runner GTX delivers the kind of big torque fun you expect at a very reasonable price. Call today!